Chains
by Neukiri
Summary: He was out of breath. His throat was dry. His legs were burning. But he continued to run. A dark vastness engulfed him as he was slowly suffocating inside the emptiness. He inhaled a large amount of air—not knowing that it was Tsunayoshi's last breath. AU. AR. Pairings Undecided.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn.

* * *

**Prologue**

* * *

His footsteps sounded through the hallway. Clashing against the dead silence of the night was the clacking of the pavement beneath his feet. His breaths had become ragged and hurried as he forced himself to run and get out of the place immediately. He looked around—brown eyes scanning the vicinity of anyone that could've caught up with him. As he turned his head to widen the search area, he had accidentally tripped on the stairs, making his lithe frame fall downwards.

He was filled with bruises and scars in his elbows and knees but he still urged his tiny body to continue to run. His knees ached in pain as the muscles on his legs were sore. Yet despite the faults with his running, he still ran and ran and ran.

He was out of breath. His throat was dry. His legs were burning. But he continued to run.

Somewhere within the halls of the mansion, he had heard screams of disbelief and shouts of anger. He was scared. The brunet had no one to turn to. As he saw the gates that connected the mansion and the outside world, he quickened his pace—wanting to get out of the area as quick as possible. He had never doubted his intuition. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as his breathing became hurried and heavier but slowly, he was nearing the large-scale gates.

Yet before he had come to a meter radius of the gate, he was roughly grabbed by the back of his shirt. Being carried upwards, he tried to struggle but his energy was drained from all the events that fateful evening. A dark vastness engulfed him as he was slowly suffocating inside the emptiness. He inhaled a large amount of air—not knowing that it was Tsunayoshi's last breath.

* * *

Neukiri: Was it okay? I haven't been writing much. I know it was terribly short, but that was a prologue. Hopefully, if this story is liked, I may continue it. Haha. :)

Concrit appreciated. No flames please.

May 10, 2013.


	2. Dawn of a Life Anew

Neukiri: See? Quick Updates! Haha, Thanks for all the faves and follows haha. :D Really loved it when I checked my email. Thanks to anon who reviewed, too. :) So here's an update!

Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Dawn of a Life Anew**

* * *

A rather lean and lanky figure came cycling down the road with an air of excitement around him. He gripped the bike's handle bars tight, as thinking of what his _kaa-san_ had bought for him today. His brown eyes shimmered with glee as the bicycle's speed increased greatly by time. The air collided against his brown hair that most would've said that defied gravity. He doesn't care much about it. After all, he was a Katou and Katous accepted things the way they are.

Ienari Katou had just turned fourteen this October 14. Despite having received insults of "Dame-Katou" and "Baka-Ienari" earlier that day, he did not let it hinder his overall mood. His mother, Hinata, had always told him that being fourteen had always been lucky for the Katou family—whether they are a true blooded Katou or not.

As the brunet turned to the curb that would eventually lead to their middle-class apartment, Ienari's eyes widened at the shock.

The once narrow three-story building was reduced to pieces of debris and the like. There seemed to be ashes, Ienari had not been so sure to discern it. Blue, gold, and green flames laced the place like a slithering snake waiting for its prey. The air horribly reeked of iron, probably blood, Ienary deduced. As the brunet's eyes wandered more, the nearby trees were burnt with those queer flames. Ienari was frozen to the spot, letting it all sink in.

There seemed to be no survivors. No one was crawling from beneath the concrete nor was anyone shouting. The brunet's grip on the bicycle loosened and the bike fell with a thud. Pain dwelt through the teen's left chest—in which he clutched it with a tight grip. He winced in pain as he fell to his knees. Ienari's vision blurred a bit, but he had seen a group of fifteen men scouting the vicinity. They were clad in black suits, in which Ienari thought was ominous. Ienari pushed himself forward and to his surprise he was surrounded by the surreal green flames.

"Boss," the one who wielded the hazy green flames had said, "The scent, boss. It's coming from this boy."

Ienari's mind was full of questions. Though they had spoken in another tongue, the brunet had understood them well. As far as Dame-Katou knows, he can only speak and understand Japanese and a tad bit of English, courtesy of his okaa-san's friend Sharon.

"Are you not dreaming, Arturo?" a man in his late thirties replied in a husky voice. Once in the back of the group he seemed to have glided and moved forward that Ienari had not sensed him come front. The black-haired adult crouched and grabbed the chin of the weak Ienari who was still on his knees. "This boy? He looks puny. He couldn't have—" at that moment, the man's eyes widened as he rudely threw aside Ienari's face.

"He has the scent."

The group shifted nervously. Guido, the black-haired adult and the leader of the squad, had grinned devilishly as he summoned his rain flames with his free hand. As he was to lunge at Ienari, Guido's movements seemed to have been restrained. Shock was painted on the old man's face. Ienari had expected the blow, so he was paralyzed with fear. But as he had seen the surprised adult, he immediately drew back.

The lanky brunet had been scathed with numerous bruises from Arturo. But alongside the surprised squad (as they looked upwards), Ienari followed suit of their actions.

Soaring in the sky was a small blue bird, clothed in blue flames as it dropped azure droplets of fire.

"Kojirou!"

The bird flew towards where the voice had come from. Surprise was once again the facial expression of the small brunet Ienari. It was one he had least expected to see in such a ruckus of a place as this.

Yamamoto Takeshi. Baseball-star of Namimori. Gentle. Kind. Carefree. The raven-haired teen walked towards the group—without the usual grin of a mask that Ienari usually sees. Instead, the rain flame wielder had walked towards them with a menacing scowl in place.

"Paura Famiglia," Yamamoto said in a foreign language. Ienari was utterly confused as, for the second time today, he had understood a language that seemed like Italian or French. The next events had been a blur for him, since he was in total shock of the events earlier and that his mother was nowhere to be found. He had seen Takeshi draw a sword from behind his back and embedded it with the blue flames of the bird named Kojirou. Like a wolf, the older teen had swiftly moved from place to place—seeming to have tranquilized the men clad in black, for they were face flat on the ground.

"Hayato," Takeshi said in a stern tone which made Ienari shiver. The brunet had only knew one person of the name Hayato, and as if it was a coincidence, the only Hayato that Ienari knew came into the scene.

Gokudera Hayato. Physically dangerous. Always in a rotten mood. His clothes were torn as he dragged two unconscious persons along—as if they were rag dolls.

The two seemed to whisper in a low tone and ignored the brunet for he had hidden himself in the bushes that had not been burnt. As soon as the small teen knew that the area was clear, he ran as quickly as his energy could do and went to the site that had been reduced to rubble. That was when the two who had been so engrossed in their _chat_ had noticed Ienari.

"'kaa-san? 'kaa-san?" Ienari had shouted. Tears welled in his face as he desperately tried to keep them there in his eyes. He had felt a warm hand touch his shoulder only to see the lamenting look of Yamamoto Takeshi.

"Sorry, Katou-san. It… It's no use," he said in a depressed and lost tone.

Ienari could not believe what Takeshi had been saying, so he did not heed his words. He still tried to find at least a fragment of his mother's life—maybe a connection. But it was when Hayato had decided to intervene and said in a grave voice, "Katou. The mafia does not show mercy to anyone."

The brunet's eyes widened as he fell to his knees once more, blowing away the last of his energy. He clenched his fists as he only muttered small words of, "T-The mafia?"

That was the day when Ienari's life had turned upside down. His okaa-san was right, something does happen at the 14th birthday of a Katou, but it's not always lucky. He would've preferred living the life of Baka-Ienari and being constantly bullied than being involved in the death cab of a Mafioso. But fate says otherwise.

"Katou-san, I-I'm sorry," Yamamoto said, caressing Kojirou who was on his shoulder. "If I had been here earlier."

Ienari smiled a sad and soulless smile—a lifeless one as he softly said, "It's okay, Yamamoto-san. Thanks for being there when I'm at my worst, though. You too, Gokudera-san."

The two had definitely pitied the always-bullied boy. Now that he had lost the only connection to this world and death, what had Ienari left to live for? It was when the air had become so thick and Yamamoto had pulled the brunet boy's shirt up—all eyes widening in shock. It was as the owner of the blue bird had suspected—the strong scent had come from him, and it was probably the reason why those Mafiosi had destroyed the apartment. But it was when the duo had decided that Ienari could not take much more.

Takeshi sighed softly as Kojirou flew to the air. He put on Ienari's shirt back on as he whispered to the small boy, "Rest."

It was when the small droplets of rain-like fire had started to engulf the brunet's vision, setting him off to slumber.

This was the dawn to the life anew.

* * *

Neukiri: I hope that it was okay! Haha. : I'm terribly sorry if I had some wrong grammars here and there haha. :) Could you do me a favor and review? I'd really like to know how you feel about this. I'm sorta new at multi chaps, and never seem to finish most due to lack of motivation. But I think i'm piped up about this one haha. :)

Enough of my rant.

Hope you'd wait to see the next update (which might not be as quick, seeing as we have other matters to attend to, sadly).

concrit very much appreciated :)

May 11,2013


	3. Of Hidden Connections and Past Memories

Neukiri: Hullo! Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and follows! I'm really happy that you appreciate my story, somewhat. Haha. :D This is the next chapter! Longer than my usual ones, because I was really hyped up. :D I do hope that you'll enjoy this and give me feedback, if you want? Haha. :) Here it is!

Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Of Hidden Connections and Past Memories**

* * *

Ienari had woken up to the serene sound of water rushing. He rubbed his eyes, for it seemed like he had woken up from the deepest of slumbers, though he had been knocked out for almost two hours. The brunet looked around, as he saw himself in an unfamiliar place and at an unknown time. Though, the teen knew that it was nighttime, for the moonshine passed in the slits of the curtain.

The boy's eyes widened at the luxury placed before himself.

It was a very spacious room, themed and crowned with the regal colors of red and gold. Very expensive furniture had been scattered within the four walls of the room. A gold chandelier hung downwards from the center of the high ceiling, in which it cascaded down to a small crystal ball. Underneath the chandelier was a ruby rug rimmed with gold in its edges. The curtains were in a rich color of scarlet and an embroidery of gold hung down near it. Ienari deduced then afterwards after observing the place that the sound of water dripping came from the small waterfall-like decoration in the corner of the room, near the open curtain. It was certainly a place for a high-class person to live in, and Ienari doubted if that place was Japan. Though, a question advanced him and he asked himself if the Yamamoto Family owned the place.

He was snapped out of his thoughts upon hearing the familiar laugh of a certain raven-haired boy. Yamamoto Takeshi had emerged from the large door. He stood with a tall figure that was well-toned. The older teen wore the Namimori High's school uniform, which was composed of a white polo shirt underneath a black vest and pants. The teen wore his signature grin on—the grin which made females' hearts' swoon and the grin which made Ienari's troubles wash away.

"Yo," Takeshi said, waving his hand in a casual manner. He sat down beside Ienari, as if he and Katou were long time best buds. "Are you alright now, Katou-kun?"

The small brunet nodded vigorously, not knowing where the sudden burst of energy came from. He was embarrassed at the honorific that the Nami baseball ace had given him. "A-Ano… Yamamoto-san? W-W-Where are w-we? What happened before I p-passed out?" he stammered.

The raven-haired teen chuckled at Ienari's constant stuttering. It was probably a habit, Takeshi thought, from being bullied all the time. "We're here to meet Hayato's friend."

The train of thoughts overtook Ienari as soon as he heard that this was Gokudera Hayato's friend's house. Firstly, he was in an unknown territory. For all the brunet might know, this place is just an illusion, and Ienari had no idea why he thought it as that way. Second, because of the little extent of information he had, the friend might be a bigger and meaner version of Gokudera, with messy black hair and gleaming red eyes. Ienari shivered at the thought. There was no way there could be a second Gokudera, right? Though the silver haired teen harbored no evil intention against the boy, Ienari was still scared.

"Ciaossu," a squeaky voice said.

Ienari Katou looked to where the voice had come from. Emerging from the door at the other side, he saw Gokudera with the Nami uniform. Though, there was something peculiar about his shoulder. There was an infant who was clad in a suit and fedora which was accented with an orange band. Riding the fedora was a small lizard-like animal that had bulgy yellow eyes.

"R-Reborn," the brunet muttered. Everyone was taken aback as all eyes were on Ienari, who stood up and faced the newcomers. His fists were clenched as his face was painted with pure shock. His hands glided to his hair, and he fell down to his knees as he writhed in pain.

Soon, Ienari was in a dream-like world, filled with crude illusions.

Illusions that Ienari hoped faded away long ago.

* * *

_It was a hot June day and Ienari clasped his hands together as he pocketed the small amount of 50 yen he had earned. The eight-year-old had been giddy and restless, for it was his birthday (or so he thinks it is) tomorrow. The small and thin brunet could finally buy the candy that the nice saleslady had offered him at a reasonable price, out of pity. Though, because of his glee, he did not know that he was soon surrounded by three older boys who had figured bulkier than his._

"_Oy, oy, oyyy. Isn't it our cute Nari-chan? I heard you hauled a big lot today, ne, Na-ri-chan~?"_

"_I am not a girl!" Ienari shouted. He was carried by the back of his ragged shirt. Being swung around while carried, they had noiselessly took the yen that he worked so much upon. After completing their task, they threw the brunet carelessly and he landed with a thud._

"_Just 50? What a waste, Nari-chan. Come on, I know there's more!"  
_

_Ienari could see that their grins grew wider as he complained and pleaded more. They had punched and kicked his lithe figure as they laughed in sheer mock and enjoyment. He had suffered so much to get the yen, and he knew he was helpless at the sight of true danger. As he knew that his consciousness was about to slip away, he saw two indigo-haired people (a male and a female, Ienari wasn't sure) stood in front of him protectively._

"_Kufufu… Takashi-san? I thought you were much better than that," the male of the two said._

_As Ienari stared in awe, the female who had indigo hair reaching her waist knelt down and tended to the brunet's injuries as much as possible. Though she had none of the right supplies, and she knew, she had used a slightly dirty cloth and wiped the blood on the brunet's face. Soon, the three had gone and the older boy had several injuries and bruises in which the petite girl had, too, tried to clean._

"_Are you alright?" the male said as he was being tended to by the girl. "I apologize that I couldn't retrieve the 50 yen of yours. But once I see them again, I'll let them see hell over and over again…"_

_Ienari's brown orbs lit up and he felt pity for the three even though what the purple-haired boy said was most probably a lie. But somewhere in Ienari's gut told him that this was true. As he was about to reply, the two had hurriedly ran and left him; and in replacement was a blue-eyed woman in her late 30s, dressed in much better clothing than the rest of them._

"_You poor child," she said with compassion. "What's your name? I'm Hinata, but you can call me okaa-san starting today, okay? Sh, sh. It'll be alright, I promise. Sh, sh."_

_Ienari had felt true love since that day forth._

* * *

_The brown-eyed brunet opened his eyes. Black. All he was black. Unending and cold. After a few seconds, a faint light blinked from a distance and Ienari was compelled to follow it. Run, run, run. What he saw after following the light was a shock for him, as it was a cylindrical water tank with a figure trapped in it._

_He took a step forward, and to his surprise, the figure was very much like his own—but looked more fragile. It had spiky brown hair, had the same face shape as Ienari's, and had the little birthmark near his left chest. It was in fetal position and was hooked with wires and cables. No doubt, Ienari thought, that if it opened its eyes, it was brown and was his own clone. Ienari brushed the thought away as soon as he felt the suffering and loneliness of the figure inside._

_The boy touched the glass of the tank, and with the lightest of brushes, the tank had cracked and Ienari was soon engulfed in a black liquid. Ienari couldn't breathe. He was dragged further away from the light as he suffocated. The water slowly drained as he moved and he saw another light, much more radiant and warm than the other._

_Involuntarily, amidst the cold of the black, he ran towards it and saw yet another figure much like his own. Brown hair that defied gravity was the trademark, Ienari noted. The unknown doppelganger wore a white shirt and pants. Though, his eyes were a feisty orange and of the same color, a fire lit up in is forehead._

_Ienari doesn't know why, but he feels compelled—like of a pet to his master._

"_Ienari," it spoke in the gentlest of voice. "You don't belong here." Ouch. That hurt Ienari. Even though he was constantly alone aside his mother, just being a second or two with the orange-eyed kid, he had felt comfortable and complete. He was trapped in the endless maze of his orbs. "Go," it spoke again. Ienari outstretched a hand, only to be whisked away in the darkness. As he was fading, he looked at the figure once again, to have heard his parting words._

"_Run. Do not let yourself unknowingly sink into the blackness of the world."_

* * *

"…san? Katou-san?"

Ienari had woken up in a cold sweat. He looked where he was, and he was in a Japanese-style house now. Though, he still heard the water running, and when he turned, it was whisked away like that house was just an illusion. He tilted his head, only to meet the infant's eyes looking at him with great interest and slight malice.

"Scent," Reborn said. The other two perked up. "Your scent. It's like his. It's like Tsuna's."

Ienari tilted his head in confusion. "Tsuna's?" he questioned weakly. He looked at Yamamoto's and Hayato's faces—in which it was painted with several emotions, small hints of glad and mostly anxiety and disbeliefs, as if they were both thinking _Why Tsuna's?_.

"Tsunayoshi Sawada." The infant said in a stern tone. "Though not entirely his, the signature scent is there. But… lackluster and not pure—as if it was infected."

"Wait, wait. What? What scent? Tsunayoshi? I've never heard of him before!" Ienari asked. In his heart, he knows the answer—that they were connected in one way or another, but Ienari brushed the mindless thought away.

"Tsunayoshi Sawada was the Forsaken Prince of the Vongola Famiglia. Your questions are rather small. The main question is: Why do you bear his scent?"

* * *

Neukiri: Dundunduuun! Haha. :D Was it okay? I think I made Reborn OOC? Haha. But this is fanfiction, so I hope you don't mind. I hope that there aren't any plotholes so far. Haha. :D Please do review, fave and or follow. I would appreciate it lots.

Concrit is very much appreciated.

May 19, 2013


	4. Chains

Neukiri: Ohayou! :D Thank you for supporting this story and giving me Concrit and motivation! :) Many were confused with the scent majigg, so I hope that this chapter would explain it. :3 I am really realllyyyy grateful for all of you. I hope you would still support me as an author in the future! :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Chains**

* * *

Upon hearing of the infant's revelation, Ienari stared wide-eyed at the group. His hands quivered as his teeth clattered. The nickname rang a bell—probably from a distant memory since he was getting more of those more often. Yet, he tried to search his mind and soon, without lick, he fell down on the sofa (which wasn't the elegant one anymore, but a simple and white one) and hopelessly sighed.

The brunet boy might not be intelligent enough to guess what a "scent" is, but he knew for sure that he wasn't Tsunayoshi or any of the sorts.

He was a middle-class teen, not a highly ranked prince.

He was remembered for all his failures, not forsaken nor abandoned.

He was far from the details in which they spoke of.

He was just Dame-Ienari—the one who flunks all of the school's subjects and hates sports.

Was this a united prank from all the school bullies—in which they managed to coax the popular Yamamoto and the genius Hayato?

No. Those two wouldn't do that. They had more humanity than those who study at Nami High.

"Who," the brunet of newly-fourteen asked. "Who is Tsunayoshi? And why did you link me with him using the _scent_," he said this word rather disgustingly; "you have been speaking about since earlier?"

Silence loomed over the room in thick masses of air. Ienari thought that this was a delicate subject, as he saw Yamamoto fidgeting around in his seat. Maybe they were forbidden to speak of it. The brunet's hands had become numb as he continued to think of thoughts like those of earlier. Currently, Katou felt insecure of himself—and he doubted himself of his denials of not being Tsunayoshi in his thoughts. It was when Gokudera Hayato acted and cut the silence in such a heavy knife which took almost everyone aback.

"Never say his name! Never say Juudaime's name!" The silver-haired teen lunged at the small boy, grabbing the collar of Ienari's uniform. "Even though you look so much like him, and probably even have the Vongola scent, you can't replace him, you can't!"

The tallest of the three pulled Gokudera away from Ienari. Yamamoto stood in between the two, facing the brunet with an apologetic look.

"Gomen, ne, Katou-kun. Hayato isn't usually like this."

Ienari nodded as he faced the Infant Reborn. A looked filled with questions painted the teen's face as he mentally pleaded Reborn to answer all the questions he had in his mind.

Reborn sighed. "A scent," he said, receiving the message from the brunet's face, "is a Famiglia signature. Every Family has a different scent, whether it is by the original chain (in which only the bosses and descendants of a certain Famiglia possess) or a chain compact. It was established by the Vindice—that is, the Mafia police of the sorts—around seven years ago, to the time of the disappearance of the Vongola Decimo's Presentation

"They said that when Tsunayoshi was to be formally known as a legitimate candidate for succession, he was rejected by his ancestors—or so they say. Details are unknown and are sworn to secrecy upon that subject. But after that, the Vindice gave the Famiglias special Chains which are to be worn at the wrist by the Family's successor. If the successor is to wear that Chain, they would automatically emit strong scents which are noticeable—even though they are just amateurs.

"The Chains are the signs that that person is the true successor, and it makes easier for the Vindice to monitor that Famiglia. Currently, all those in the Mafia have their Family's Chain signatures. As for Yamamoto and Gokudera—who are part of the infamous Vongola Famiglia—they have the same Chain signature as the other members, but it depends upon the owner of the Family's Original Chain if he shall give them a much stronger Chain signature.

"The scent comes in here. The Curse of The Chains give the bearer of the signature a certain aura—in which they call a scent, because the term was coined by the Talpa Famiglia, for they referred to themselves as "moles". They are a weak Famiglia, but they bore strong Chain signatures, so likewise they can clearly see the "aura" or scent of the signature from the certain Chained person.

"The stronger the Chain signature you have, the purer the flames, the stronger the scent and the range of sensing a scent and likewise, you are much more open to attacks.

"Though, the Chain signature bursts at the age of 7 at the Presentation Ceremony to the age of 15."

Reborn exhaled after he had finished his lengthy explanation. Usually, he would not say this but seeing the situation, Ienari was dragged in the Mafia deeper than he thought. If he hid secrets, it might become a hindrance for them in the future. After all, he was going to call _that_ person—who hid much more secrets than he does.

The Sun Arcobaleno sighed. He took his phone and dialed the number of _that _person, asking if he could come in due time. He smirked as he put down his phone, only to see Yamamoto easing the tension between the two.

"The Rain that washes away," Reborn muttered.

"You see," Takeshi started. "Tsuna was our best friend." Yamamoto's voice cracked at the name of his Sky, "We were supposed to be his Guardians, Katou-kun. So, he gave us a stronger Chain signature. Me and Hayato were two of his seven guardians. Usually, you would have six, but since the Higher Ups of the Vongola approved of the fact, we had two Mist Guardians. Life was bliss in Italy, but after the Presentation Ceremony, which is sort of a ritual in the Vongola, everything went astray."

Ienari gazed upon the sad eyes of his new friend. The brunet sighed as he let it all sink in. Soon enough, the two supposed Guardians started bickering as they told Ienari about who was supposed to be the right-hand man. He chuckled a bit, thinking how lucky Tsunayoshi was having two dedicated friends and family. Anxiousness sunk in him as he felt more insecure. Brushing all his thoughts away, Ienari drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

* * *

As the sun of the Saturday rose stretched upon the expanse of the sky, Ienari had woken up to see a brown wooden ceiling. He rubbed his eyes to get the drowsiness off him. Looking down, he saw that he still wore the clothes of yesterday's tiring events. Of how he was going home from yet another stressful day to reach their apartment in ruins; of how the men in black stared at him warily and how his classmates rescued him from danger—those were a few of the prime events on Ienari's birthday.

_Okaa-san_,

Ienari's thoughts had somehow drifted to his dearest mother, Hinata. His mother who stayed and cared for him even though he was a child from the slums. He remembered her radiant smile that seemed to brighten up Ienari's days when he arrived at their apartment room. The brunet boy also remembered Hinata's blue eyes that shone with the brightest of suns when Ienari was stuck in despair. Even though Hinata's constitution was failing her by day, she was one of the few who had the kindest hearts.

Even though Ienari's childhood from the age of 7 below was always been a blur for him, upon his meeting with the Sun Arcobaleno, it brought him some blurry images of his life without Hinata.

It had made Ienari resent the living. Though, he was alive himself. Ienari resented the people, for they loved to pick on the weak. There were the children in the slums, who had hated the brunet's guts, and there were his sempai's and kouhai's who loved to jeer on him almost every day.

Yet, there was only one smile that could make him forget the cruelty of life.

Hinata—his _okaa-san_.

Now, he would never see those brilliant blue eyes that shone in radiance; nor would he hear the wonderful laugh of his savior years and years ago.

It is all gone.

The brunet silently sobbed. He was not depressed at the fact that his mother was gone, but more of the fact that he was too late to save her. He had not thoroughly repaid Hinata—not in school or in friends. When would he ever give a proper thank-you to Hinata? Ienari wouldn't know.

After all she was gone.

He had so many debts in life. He had not yet repaid the favor of Ro-nii and Na-nee's kindess towards him as a child of misfortune.

_Ro-nii, Na-nee…_

Ienari could not remember their names that much, so he had nicknamed them as Ro-nii and Na-nee for the time being.

But, he remembered Ro-nii's courage to stand against those who were older than him; and he remembered Na-nee's love and care for someone as unknown as Ienari.

Ienari couldn't even remember their faces clearly.

_Was he destined to forget?_

* * *

An hour passed by and in which Ienari spent it in due silence. The brunet had not been curious of where he was—whether he might be a hostage or any of the like—for he had no reason to live anymore.

Ienari's stomach growled, but he still didn't dare go out. It was when Yamamoto emerged from the door wearing a white undershirt and a blue polo and light brown pants. The raven-haired teen grinned at Ienari in which he nervously smiled back. The brunet had noticed that Takeshi held a wooden sword and a large bento in each of his hands. But he didn't ask why.

"Good morning, Ienari-san!" Yamamoto cheerily said. He raised the hand which held the bento, "Eat up and get dressed. I'll lend you some of my smaller clothes. Reborn-san said that we will be meeting Mr. Iemitsu Sawada later, he might know why your Chain signature is so much similar with Tsuna's."

Ienari regretted to have agreed, but nevertheless, he wanted to know the truth—of how deep was he connected with Tsunayoshi.

How the revelations shocked him.

* * *

Neukiri: Dun dun dun? haha. :) Was it okay? Im sorry of making Reborn chatty here. xDD I really can't make his character! :D Haha. Concrit is much appreciated! :D

Thank you! :) Hope you would still continue to read on! :D

May 22, 2013


	5. The Truth of the Presentation

Neukiri: Hey. Sorry for the wait! Here it is. I hope I have already replied to your reviews. :)

Like the summary? My friend, **Cross Genesis** helped me revise it. Check out her D-Gray Man Stories!

Oh, oh. And **Clairvoyance12**! :D She advertised my story! I really like her story. It's her first fanfic though and she did way better than me on my dead account haha. :D

Thanks guys! Virtual cookies!

Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn.

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**The Truth of the Presentation**

After Ienari finished eating the bento Yamamoto had given him, he changed into a white shirt and brown jeans. They made their way towards the family restaurant soon afterwards. Yesterday, Ienari recalled that the raven-haired teen mentioned an "Iemitsu Sawada" earlier and the brunet immediately thought that he was Tsunayoshi's father.

"Well, you got it there, Ienari-san. Do you mind if I call you that?"

At first, the brunet hesitated to do so, but in the end (with the help of Yamamoto's brilliant coaxing), Ienari agreed to let Yamamoto call him by his given name.

The duo's conversation dealt with a lot of topic, like what was Yamamoto's life in Italy like and Hinata's kindness to Ienari being a child of the slums. After Takeshi saw the sadness in his eyes, he started to talk about baseball, in which he promised to let Ienari try it out sometime. Their topics strayed away from the incident of the day before and they just talked about easygoing topics.

Before the two knew it, it was already thirty-and-nine and Tsuyoshi, who was a tall man who was in his 40s and was Takeshi's father, arrivedand announced to them that Reborn and his friends had arrived.

Nervousness swallowed the poor brunet as he didn't know what to expect of the 6 Mafiosi that were to appear.

They were 6 newcomers—two of which were teenagers, three were infants, and there was a blond adult with an intimidating aura.

Ienari knew half of the newcomers for they were Reborn, who was clad in his usual black suit and fedora; Gokudera Hayato, Namimori's delinquent, wore a red shirt and black jeans; and the one whom Ienari least expected: Hibari Kyoya, donning the Namimori uniform underneath the head prefect jacket with pride.

The 14-year-old was taken aback when he had sensed an aura just like Reborn's from the three unknown newcomers. One of the two unknown infants had a red visor over its head and had a red-orange mark over its left cheek. She also had a messy cut short blue hair atop her head. She was the Arcobaleno Lal Mirch, as Yamamoto told him earlier. She was a reputable Mafioso, being a former member of COMSUBIN, and a high-ranked officer with the CEDEF. Her aura was much like Reborn's, and unlike the other infant who was cradled in Iemitsu's arms.

The other child was of a rambunctious disposition. He did not radiate a sense of maturity unlike the Arcobaleno, for which Yamamoto had explained earlier about the Cursed Seven. He was clad in a cow-patterned suit and had hair that was of a black oversized afro that crowned his head. Yet, what captured Ienari's attention the most of the queer child's features were his shocking green eyes—in which the brunet had compared it with a endless void of sorts.

The last of the newcomers was the adult of his late 30s or early 40s. He had a lawn of sandy blonde hair and had a clean-shaved beard. He stood up to his full stature; his auburn eyes bore into Ienari. Once the brunet had the courage to lock eyes with this intimidating man, he fainted into a dream—dreams which were the missing fragments of the Forsaken Prince's life.

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He opened his eyes. All he saw was black—just an endless black that stretched outwards. There was a small flicker of light in the distance. It slowly radiated until the dark abyss grew warmer and became a much more heavenly place. Ienari felt a hand touch his wrist and he got whisked away to the light.

"Here," a voice that belonged to an old man said. "Here, they're all waiting for you."

He pulled Ienari nearer to the light and the warmth engulfed the small boy's body. Soon enough, the brunet boy heard murmurs and whispers. Feeling insecure, he looked down, and was astonished at the fact that he suddenly grew smaller—like that of a seven or eight year old boy. Ienari noted that he was wearing a suit of the highest class. He looked up, not knowing what to do, only to see the old man smiling at him with the fondest of smiles.

"Are you ready?"

The brunet involuntarily nodded.

The elderly man led him towards the door and Ienari's eyes widened at the familiar sight before him.

Gold and red laced the place, like the illusion house that was found when he had regained consciousness. Ruby curtains hung low, and there were about 50 round tables placed. Golden chandeliers were hanging from the high ceiling, in which it transformed to small crystals at the bottom. A flight of stairs awaited the two as he, along with the elderly man, descended to with such grace.

Ienari caught the gazes of the fifty leaders and soon-to-be of the families allied with the Vongola. Soon, he heard the Ninth speak in front of the microphone. Yet, maybe it was just a dream because time and time again he was mistaken for that person.

"Here is one of the candidates for succession. Completing the Presentation, here is Tsunayoshi Sawada."

Applauses filled the air and yet another involuntary grin graced Ienari's lips. He was patted on the head by the Ninth, and he felt like the luckiest boy alive.

Until they had heard a gunshot.

Everything was a blur after that.

His footsteps sounded through the hallway. Clashing against the dead silence of the night was the clacking of the pavement beneath his feet. His breaths had become ragged and hurried as he forced himself to run and get out of the place immediately. He looked around—brown eyes scanning the vicinity of anyone that could've caught up with him. As he turned his head to widen the search area, he had accidentally tripped on the stairs, making his lithe frame fall downwards.

He was filled with bruises and scars in his elbows and knees but he still urged his tiny body to continue to run. His knees ached in pain as the muscles on his legs were sore. Yet despite the faults with his running, he still ran and ran and ran.

He was out of breath. His throat was dry. His legs were burning. But he continued to run.

Somewhere within the halls of the mansion, he had heard screams of disbelief and shouts of anger. He was scared. The brunet had no one to turn to. As he saw the gates that connected the mansion and the outside world, he quickened his pace—wanting to get out of the area as quick as possible. He had never doubted his intuition. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as his breathing became hurried and heavier but slowly, he was nearing the large-scale gates.

Yet before he had come to a meter radius of the gate, he was roughly grabbed by the back of his shirt. Being carried upwards, he tried to struggle but his energy was drained from all the events that fateful evening. A dark vastness engulfed him as he was slowly suffocating inside the emptiness. He inhaled a large amount of air—not knowing that it was Tsunayoshi's last breath.

Three gunshots were fired in the distance—two of which missed their marks. Soon, Ienari saw boys of his age running towards him, three of which seemed to be younger versions of Yamamoto, Gokudera, and Hibari.

It was then Ienari understood everything.

It was a playback of time.

It was the playback of Tsunayoshi's Presentation Ceremony.

"TSUNA!"

Everything faded away.

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"Ienari-san!"

His eyes shot open. Worried faces were the first thing that Ienari saw. After that, he felt pain sear on the birthmark on his left chest. Yamamoto assisted the young boy and gave him a glass of water to drink. Still, the brunet held the cloth above his birthmark tightly. Silence passed, even the young cow child stood idle. The click of a gun broke the silence.

"Tell the truth, Iemitsu." Reborn said, pointing the gun to the blonde's head.

He sighed. "I guess I can't hide it anymore, can I, Reborn? I was planning to keep it a bit longer too."

The air was soon thick. Ienari clenched his fists, remembering the recent dream. Since the start of those visions, pain shoots to his left chest, but now it was even more serious than ever. Was it because the memory was much more important? The brunet doesn't know. It was when the blonde inhaled and started, "It began when Tsuna was young. He was four at the time."

He paused. Reborn pressed the gun to the side of Iemitsu's head. The blonde knew very well that when the Arcobaleno pointed his gun, he was deathly serious. Without hesitation, Iemitsu told the truth.

"I contracted with the Vindice."

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Neukiri: Vindice, Vendice? I don't know, to be honest. I haven't read the chapters after the Future Arc, so since my knowledge is limited, that's the farthest I could go. Concrit is appreciated. Thanks for all the reviews, faves, and follows~!

May 31, 2013


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